Melani Nanai escapes sanction for foul play
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Blues outside back Melani Nanai can count himself lucky that he escaped sanction for a piece of off the ball foul play against the Stormers.
Twitter user Lee Davids, presumably a Stormers supporter, spotted the foul play with Nanai appearing to have elbowed Stormers' outside back Dillyn Leyds in the face with the Stormers man attempting to get the ball from the fullback for a lineout.
#SuperRugby
— LΞΞ DΛVIDSΞ (@lee_davidse) March 30, 2019
The rules are clearly different for New Zealand teams and their visitors. Melani Nanai elbows Dillyn Leyds in the face but no action.
Ref is in close proximity.
That’s a red card every day of the week, except today in Auckland.#BLUvSTO pic.twitter.com/9fTHszvx47
Another Twitter user, Sibusiso Mjikeliso also spotted the incident and criticised the host broadcast who showed no replays of the incident while New Zealand referee Nick Briant was also in close proximity.
Let's talk about what happens when you have an all NZ officiating team + @skysportnz controlling the feed.
— Sibusiso Mjikeliso (@Sbu_Mjikeliso) March 30, 2019
Everyone sees this red card offence but it's not replayed on the screen for the ref, Briant, to see.
TMO doesn't fall anything, neither does the Kiwi linesman.#BLUvSTO pic.twitter.com/NnvrZk91Nh
However, Blues winger Tanielu Tele'a did get cop a 4-week suspension after he was red carded for taking Leyds out in the air.
